In Brief
The Madhya Pradesh Housing Board initiated land acquisition proceedings in 1996 but failed to pay compensation to the landowners. When the 2013 Fair Compensation Act came into effect, the acquisition proceedings lapsed. Though market value was assessed at Rs. 24 crores, the original acquisition amount was only Rs. 33 lakhs. Through court-supervised settlement, the parties agreed the Housing Board would pay Rs. 27.5 crores as final, one-time compensation. Payment must be made within two months; failure triggers 18% annual interest and personal liability for responsible officials. The appeal was disposed of with this comprehensive settlement.
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